Transcript

Malinda Venable: [00:00:00] You miss 100 percent of the shots that you don’t take. If I don’t take the shot, if I don’t at least try, if I don’t at least put myself out there, then I’ll always be kind of at a stagnant level.

Zane Richards: If it’s something that you love doing and it’s something that you’re passionate about, go for it. Whatever your subject is that you love doing, educate yourself.

Barbara Leach: Sometimes it’s in the deepest depths that when you find the light, you are the strongest you have ever been. That it is the brightest you have ever seen in the midst of darkness. Just thank God, the light will come.

Lashana: Hello and welcome to paperless pathways, a podcast for stars by stars. My name is LaShonna Lewis, and I am your host today.

Lashana: We’re joined by four incredible guests, Zane Richards from the Netflix movie, untapped closing America’s opportunity gap. Natalia Lara, Director of Product Design at [00:01:00] Opportunity at Work. Melinda Venable, who’s a Fintech Product Manager. And Barbara Leach, a fellow STARS Advisory Council member with me.

Lashana: We’ll talk about redefining career paths, challenging norms, and thriving in roles previously thought to be inaccessible. Without formal education. I hope you enjoy. All right, Zane, we meet again. Uh, I just want to say hello. Welcome. Thank you for joining us today. Uh, you know, from your, your star stud at Hollywood spin.

Lashana: And, uh, I just want to intro it by, uh, asking you to tell the people who you are.

Zane Richards: Okay. Uh, I’m Zane Richards. Um, as Netflix documentary called, um, untapped America’s opportunity gap. Um, and, uh, it was, uh, the basis of the film. It pretty much followed me and, uh, five other, uh, people that was a part of the Europe program.

Zane Richards: [00:02:00] Um, and that is a program that is designed to help, uh, people who have not graduated from. College or have not attended college and helps them with the skills that they need to survive in corporate America. And the documentary basically just followed us around, uh, during our tenure at Europe. And, um, it was a great experience.

Zane Richards: It was a great documentary and, uh, I enjoyed a lot.

Lashana: No, it’s, it was very impressive. It was kind of see what the procedure was, um, when going through Europe. So kudos to you because I know preparing a presentation for me always gives me a little bit of tingle. I sweat a little bit, uh, even though I I’ve been doing it.

Lashana: For like 10 something years now, it’s still, you know, it was a little bit like, Oh wait, you know, people are staring at me and doing this, but, um, I want to roll back the clock a little bit, if I can, and just ask, you know, kind of what was, uh, young Zane thinking that he would do with his life? Like once he.

Lashana: Learn that careers birthing, [00:03:00] um, like what, what was going through your head and like, um, you know, what, what were you trying to seek out to do, uh, initially just to kind of give people like a little, like, Hey, I was thinking the same thing.

Zane Richards: What really set me on the track of my, you know, my love for tech is, um, I dropped a remote control on the floor one time and it cracked open and I saw that there was a motherboard inside.

Zane Richards: And that fascinated me because I had only seen things like that on TV and, you know, inside computers and stuff like that. I didn’t know that there was something in my house at the time that had all of that in it. And that is what, uh, put me on the tech track. And, um, my parents, they’re both from the Caribbean.

Zane Richards: They’re both from St. Vincent. And my dad, anytime there was something broken in the house, he would always just fix it himself. He always had the tools. He always had the knowledge of how to fix something. And even if he didn’t fix it the [00:04:00] first time, he would continue with it. And then eventually he would fix it.

Zane Richards: So that was a inspiration for me.

Lashana: Awesome. And I also had those, those fix it people in my life too, or those time periods where it was like something breaks. You’re like, oh, okay. You know, some people just. throw it away, check it. Um, but I was always,

Zane Richards: or they have to hire

Lashana: or hire somebody or, you know, um, a lot of times it was like, you know, it’s just broken and it would just sit there forever.

Lashana: Um, but you know, I was fortunate enough to, to have, uh, that, that, that person in my life that would let me kind of see behind the scenes and be able to fix some things. I know you said that you went to that, uh, tech high school. So I know you were doing that. And then, uh, after the Tech High School, did you do something else right after that?

Zane Richards: Right after high school, I went to Transit Tech High School, um, and there was a representative of Lincoln Tech who came to class and, um, told us about his, [00:05:00] um, institution and how there wasn’t any math classes. There wasn’t any English classes. There wasn’t anything extra. The only thing that they studied.

Zane Richards: was tech. And, um, I didn’t know about trade schools at the time. I didn’t know about that. So, um, once he, you know, presented me with that, I was like, Oh, this is exactly what I want to do. So that’s where I went.

Lashana: Awesome. So, uh, we’ll, we’ll move into what was it like to look at college prospects? Like for me, I grew up.

Lashana: Very much in a household where people were kind of like, you know, telling me about college and whatnot. Um, all, all the people in my life never actually went to college. So they like told me from this third hand perspective. So I’m like trusting whatever they’re saying. But I know a lot of teachers and a lot of community leaders.

Lashana: You know, when you go to church and all of that, they, they tell you, this is the only way to go. Um, this is the only path that you could take, um, anything else. They literally told [00:06:00] me you would be in a cardboard box, uh, on the street that, that those are their options. So it was just kind of like, can I get more, more breath than that?

Lashana: Um, what was it like for you?

Zane Richards: For me, Um, once entering high school as a freshman, that’s when the college, uh, talks start to. You know, go around with the students and the, uh, guidance counselors and stuff like that. And, um, I knew I was different because, um, there were some students that already had their colleges picked out of which ones that they most likely wanted to attend.

Zane Richards: And I hadn’t done any of that type of homework. I didn’t know what colleges were near me. I didn’t know what colleges. you know, that I wanted to go to or anything like that. And, um, my parents, um, never pushed for like college like that. Um, actually recently, but while watching the [00:07:00] documentary, I’ve, I had a conversation with my dad and it was, it was revealed that he didn’t, he wasn’t really a good student, which baffled me because he’s, he’s so smart.

Zane Richards: He reads all the time and stuff like that. So I was like, I didn’t, I didn’t know that about him. So I guess that’s one of the reasons he didn’t like school. He was, he was never like book smart, as he would say, but he seems book smart to me now. But, um, Yeah, I never had a push for my parents to have to go to college and they were actually on board 100 percent when I told them I wanted to do the, the technical school route, the trade school route,

Lashana: which is awesome.

Lashana: Um, that was, um, funnily enough, that’s actually the route that I was trying to take. Um, when I got out of high school, I was trying to, trying to go to a local tech trade school, mostly because I found out, um, that they were doing like really entry level, civil engineering, architecture stuff. And I was [00:08:00] very interested in that.

Lashana: Um, as well as some like. Early on computer tech, uh, things, and this would have been about 94, 93, 94. So, um, teaching computer stuff was akin to, you know, auto mechanic work in, in their eyes. So they, they put it over at the, the, the trade school. Um, and I was like really interested in doing that. And I was immediately told, no, I was like, full stop.

Lashana: You told, you know, you can’t. Do something like that. Um, the quote that I was told was you’re too smart to go to trade school. And I was just like, I don’t see you going out there and fixing your car. I don’t see you going out there and rewiring the electricity and the plumbing in your house. You are hiring one of these people to come and do that.

Lashana: So I thought that was very odd way. of [00:09:00] looking at people who specifically decided to go into the trades. Um, so I’m glad that you did have a family base that embraced that. My, my family was also like, if that’s what you want to do, do it. But again, I had, um, a lot of mentors who. Um, just kind of saw college as this beacon of light, ready to take control of your career.

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Lashana: Let’s move a little ahead to like, how did you even find out about Europe? I know you’ve, uh, talked a little bit about it, uh, in general, and, uh, I know it sounds like a broken record, but I would love for you to kind of talk about that story because I heard you talk about it earlier today. And I was like, wow,

Zane Richards: I was like, I don’t, I’m getting paid good money for someone who’s at home now.

Zane Richards: But I don’t think I’ll be able to survive out in the real world and still have enough money to save up or care for a family for that matter with this, you know, pay. So I looked into transitioning into a bigger company that, you know, could pay me. And the idea that I had was what’s a big company that’s very much, you know, they, that the city needs.

Zane Richards: Um, That that’s never gonna go out of business and MTA MTA was the [00:11:00] first thing that popped in my mind trains Everybody uses the subway. Everybody uses the buses in New York. So that’s never gonna go out of out of business So I applied Make a long story short. I got the job I became a train operator for the MTA and I quickly realized that it was not something that I It wasn’t something that I liked to do.

Zane Richards: It wasn’t, uh, there wasn’t a passion there. Um, now the pay was great. That was the one thing that was like, just awesome about the job. The pay was great. Um, but the hours and the work life balance was not, wasn’t there. Now to say a couple of good things. I got married while I was with an MTA. The MTA helped me to pay for my wedding.

Zane Richards: Um, the MTA helped me to pay for my honeymoon. You know, it was hard to get the two weeks vacation, but you know, it still helped out a lot, but I wasn’t happy. Um, [00:12:00] so right before the pandemic, my best man, um, he told me about Europe and he told me about what, what it, what the program was about and that’s how he had gotten his job and at the time he was working it for the NBA.

Zane Richards: And I was like, wow, I didn’t know anybody at the time that had a, like, corporate job. And I was like, I asked him more and more about how he got the job and that’s how the year up came up. So he told me about year up and unfortunately at the time, the age cutoff was at 26 and I was already 26 at the time, I think I was 27, um, and, um, I just accepted the fate of it.

Zane Richards: Like, well, I guess it’s not, it’s not meant to be, I can’t do anything about it now. I don’t know. Um, then the pandemic came and hit and, you know, everybody knows how that went. That was a time for sure. Um, [00:13:00] but the thing that came out of that was that year uprage, their age gap. So now the age cutoff is 29 and he came back to me.

Zane Richards: Hey, Europe’s age cutoff raised up and I was like, what is it? I was like 29. I was like, I’m 29 now. I got to get in right now. I remember exactly where I was. I was in the train yard. Um, of the MTA and I was at my wit’s end. I was like, I can’t do this job anymore. I got to find a way out. And then when that opportunity came up, I was like, yes, because also what attracted me to the idea was that him and his wife both went to year up.

Zane Richards: And she worked at Facebook and this is when Facebook was like big, like huge. Facebook was the social media, um, over everything. And he was working it at, uh, Ralph Lauren polo. Um, and they [00:14:00] were able to save up her income 100 percent and live off of his income for five years. And they were able to buy their house outright in New Jersey.

Zane Richards: So they don’t owe anything on their house now. And I was like, I didn’t even know that that was possible, you know? And I said, all of this, all of this came from Europe. And he was like, yeah, that’s where we started. And that’s how we get. I said, wow. Okay. Yeah, I’m definitely going. I’m definitely going. I mean, that’s amazing.

Zane Richards: And that’s. Yeah, that’s how I got to year up and that’s, uh, that’s how I got introduced to it.

Lashana: I mean, that’s stuff that you hear, you know, back in the day where person could be a shoe salesman and support their entire family and then take, you know, a two week vacation across the country. You’re like, what?

Lashana: That was stuff that happened, but apparently, you know, that’s, that’s how jobs were. And it’s like to [00:15:00] see something like that still happening where you can just be like, I’ll work, you save up, we’ll just buy the house and it’ll be a nice house and, and, you know, have all the things that we want and, uh, still be able to do, you know, quite a bit.

Lashana: Um, obviously that would, that would attract me as well, if that’s something that somebody told me and they were like, I went through this program. Um, so if you can, um, you know, without breaking any NDAs, what was it like for you, uh, getting into Europe? Like, um, I, I know that when I did launch code, there was a little bit of imposter syndrome for me because I had this enormous belief that in order to get into a coding program, you had to be, you know, Basement level hacker and, you know, sitting around dreaming about code, uh, to, to be able to get an apprenticeship like that.

Lashana: So can you talk a little bit about what was

Zane Richards: [00:16:00] like for you? When I got into Europe, I quickly realized that I was one of the oldest people there. I would say the average age was about 24, 25. At the time I was 29, turning 30, my friend’s wife, she said that she was the best in the class. And that’s what helped her to land the job at Facebook.

Zane Richards: And a lot of the people that joined Europe were still like, you know, living at home or was, you know, they probably had a part time job here and there, or they just left school because it wasn’t good for them. And And they decided to do year up. My situation was different. I was leaving a well, very well paying job.

Zane Richards: I have rent to pay and I have, you [00:17:00] know, a family. Well, no kids, but my wife, it’s just me and my wife. I didn’t have a choice. I had to go in there laser focused. I said, I’m going to be the best in the class. I’m not taking any. Being for granted, this is like my last chance to really get back into tech, really do something that I enjoy and love doing.

Zane Richards: And I’m not, I’m not playing any games. I’m not playing any games at all. So the first day, once we were split up into our classes and we got all of the, you know, pleasantries out the way, and this is like the first official day of class. I was like, okay. I remembered one thing from, um, from tech technical school, right after high school, I went to technical school with a friend from high school named Eric Torres, shout to Eric.

Zane Richards: Um, we made the plan to go to Lincoln tech together and he brought a [00:18:00] friend from his childhood, so all three of us. Lincoln Tech is in New Jersey. We lived in Brooklyn. So, you know, they would have a bus for us to go. So we were the three Brooklyn guys that was in Jersey. So we stuck together. Sometimes we would sit in the back of the class.

Zane Richards: Sometimes we would sit in the middle of the class. I remember there was one guy in there. His name was Mike Melendez. Mike Melendez was in the front of every class and he, his, his grades showed it. He was always, you know, he knew everything I said. Okay. I’m going to do like Mike Melinda is I’m sitting in the front of the class, like I’m right there with you.

Zane Richards: I don’t. Um, yeah, I’m, I said, I’m going to take that from technical school and I’m going to apply that in Europe. And I looked to see who was sitting there. And, um, if you, um, have seen the untapped documentary, um, another, uh, person that they followed named Lamia ramen. She was right there in the front of the [00:19:00] class.

Zane Richards: She was the only person there at the front of the class. I said, let’s sit next to her. I’m going to talk to her, see what she’s about. And we, I sat down, I said, I introduced myself. Hi, how are you doing? My name is Aaron Richards. We got to talking and I quickly found out she is really smart. I said, Oh yeah, I’m sitting next to you.

Zane Richards: All day, every day. We are in the front of this class. We’re gonna talk. We’re gonna, you know, we’re gonna exchange notes. Everything. I wasn’t playing any games in there. Yeah, it paid off.

Lashana: I mean, I mean, obviously, in the documentary, it shows that, you know, you’re a hard worker and, uh, you You take things seriously.

Lashana: Like when it’s your time, you’re, you’re going for it. I will not take up a whole bunch of time. Um, because, uh, I know the documentary speaks so much about you and your life and, and the things that you went through. Um, so I’ll just, uh, ask this, you know, if you were to go back and you would start talking to [00:20:00] a person that was like yourself.

Lashana: That started off where you were starting off and thinking about maybe taking this chance or doing something very similar, uh, to the road that you’re going on, what would be some words of advice of inspiration that you would share, uh, to that person?

Zane Richards: There’s two, two halves of the question. The first would be follow your heart.

Zane Richards: And if it’s something that you enjoy, that’s where you go. Go in that direction. If it’s something that you love doing and it’s something that you’re passionate about, go for it. Cause as soon as you get into something that isn’t fun for you, you’re going to be miserable. And that’s how, you know, a lot of negatives in life start to begin and that’s not where you want to go.

Zane Richards: So make sure that what you want to do, you love doing it.

Lashana: I love that. Go ahead.

Zane Richards: The second [00:21:00] part would be, you know, you love it, but you still got to educate yourself on it. Get your certifications. Get your, you know, we’re stars. We didn’t go the original path of going to college and stuff, but there’s so much education out there on a lot of different subjects, whatever your subject is that you love doing, educate yourself.

Zane Richards: One thing I wish that I did do more was get more certifications earlier. I had, you know, some, but stacking the certifications really does help you out in the long run. So definitely. Educate yourself

Lashana: both of those points. Well, thank you so much. Zane for, for taking the time to, to share a piece of your history and your life with us as well as, uh, again, notes of inspiration, um, and, and your journey.

Lashana: Um, I’m hoping that, uh, as I always say, when I come off of the stage for [00:22:00] talking to people, you know, if I reached that one person that had a question or a doubt in their mind about. Taking the chance and doing another path that I feel like I’ve done what I came to do. So, uh, I wish that among our our listeners and and our viewers that They get the same thing from you Zane.

Lashana: So, thank you so much And, um, I really enjoy it, uh, having you here.

Zane Richards: I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you very much.

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Lashana: Start your journey today. Hi everybody. Thank you for joining. I’m super, super honored to have both of you here. Do you mind giving a little bit about, uh, who you are, give your name and, uh, You know what you do, and, uh, we can kind of share with the audience a little bit about yourself.

Malinda Venable: Sure. I am Melinda Venable.

Malinda Venable: I am a product manager, um, and I have a background in financial services as well as fintech. I’m super excited just to tell my star story and to be able to share it with the world.

Lashana: Awesome. Thank you, Melinda. And I’ve got a, uh, a co DJ with me today. Natalia, you want to tell the folks who you are?

Natalia Lara: Yeah, thank you, LaShonna.

Natalia Lara: Um, such a pleasure to be here, um, and to talk about stars. Um, I’m Natalia Lara, and I am also [00:24:00] a proud star, um, currently working as a director of product design, um, advocating and influencing, um, Four stars inclusion mode, which I’d be happy to share more about later. But, um, my background is in talent acquisition.

Natalia Lara: I started very young working in corporate and I worked my way up to, um, associate director of talent, um, acquisition. In, um, in a span of 12 years until I hit the paper ceiling. And so I made a pivot, several pivots, in fact, um, which, you know, we’ll talk a lot about today, but, um, yeah, very happy to be here and to, you know, continue, um, sharing star stories.

Natalia Lara: Awesome.

Lashana: Thank you. Uh, so we’re talking about again across industries. Um, as many stars have encountered, we have made a lot of different shifts. Uh, you know, we we pick up somewhere. Uh, we may start down one pathway. Something else kind of comes [00:25:00] in and, you know, turns us around and we, uh, you know, go a different route.

Lashana: Um, Not unheard of not unheard of even when speaking i’ve always had somebody tell me, you know They started off in one career and then transition to something else and then somebody gave them that chance So melinda, let’s start off with you. Uh, let’s talk a little bit about like All of the industries that you’ve gone through.

Lashana: I know there’s banking and mortgage lending and affordable housing and fintech. Uh, tell us about like, what was it like for you? Why you were like, kind of thinking about making all those transitions?

Malinda Venable: Yeah, I, it sounds like it was a seamless kind of transition in a pathway that I was. really focused on.

Malinda Venable: And I was like, I want to get here. But in all actuality, each transition required me to take a leap of faith and for me to assess the skills that I have. Um, and the skills that I wanted to have to be where I ultimately wanted to be. A lot of the motivation behind me transitioning was Feeling like I’ve hit the paper [00:26:00] ceiling at one in, in one industry or one organization, um, and having a desire for more for myself, more for my family.

Malinda Venable: And because of that, I had to be kind of, um, strategic in the way that I volunteered to get. To do additional assignments at my job to be able to build skills. Um, I also had to be in a position where people saw me as valuable. And so the transitions that I made, though, they, uh, as I mentioned, seem like they will seamless.

Malinda Venable: I literally took kind of one thing that I felt passionate about along the way and kind of clung to that and looked for those opportunities when I was. Deciding to leave one job and go to another. Um, and so from banking to the mortgage industry, um, I was a banker and a teller and an assistant branch manager during the mortgage crisis.

Malinda Venable: So I saw a lot of individuals who have been negatively impacted by [00:27:00] predatory lending, which made me want to be kind of on the frontline of helping people to make a decision about what are the largest purchases that they would make in their lives. Um, From there, I was kind of in a position where I was helping a lot of people of color, a lot of low to moderate income, um, consumers who are looking to get into the mortgage space.

Malinda Venable: And I recognize that there was a huge disparity when it came to the financial acumen and the education that existed amongst these borrowers. Um, and that kind of led me into affordable housing. From affordable housing, I learned things from tech because I had to build compliance systems. Um, I managed a down payment assistance program at one of the largest national non profits for affordable housing.

Malinda Venable: And, um, just taking on a little bit at a time and, and realizing, oh, I do know how to do this. When I was looking at job applications was one of the ways that I managed to make those transitions. [00:28:00]

Lashana: Wow. That’s incredible. Um, I like that. You said, you know, you wanted to be kind of on the front lines of helping people.

Lashana: Um, and that seems very instrumental and the way that stars kind of operate and think that they’re like, you know, I see something happening, you know, I will figure it out. I’ll figure out what I need to figure out in order to, you know, Take that next step for what I know. I know, Natalia, you’ve you’ve done a few changes.

Lashana: Do you mind just kind of regaling us with life?

Natalia Lara: Yeah, Melinda. I really enjoyed hearing your story because a lot of it resonated with me. Um, so a little bit about my story. I, you know, Began working in customer service, and I did set out to say, you know, I want to get off the phones because that was the teller.

Natalia Lara: Um, you know, I was on a call center. Um, and I wanted to be a recruiter. So I knew that, you know, if I figured What’s the best way [00:29:00] to match my skills to that role that I could eventually apply for that role. And fortunately, I did get the job until I, um, left the banking industry because that’s what I was working for at the time and went into, um, Uh, recruiting, like, uh, high volume staffing for a lot of agencies.

Natalia Lara: And so I saw a lot of people with a lot of different backgrounds, and I very quickly had to learn exactly what the hiring manager needed and then match that to the candidates. And so it taught me how to be very resourceful, how to, um, you know, research. Um, I learned a lot researching on the internet, like, what is this role?

Natalia Lara: What are these skills? Like, what, what is the occupation? What do they do? Typically? Um, And so I, I really, um, I think thrived in that environment until it came time for me to also think about my future. And so I jumped around from the financial services industry to [00:30:00] the staffing agencies. I then went into, um, education, which was not in my, in.

Natalia Lara: I never thought I’d be working in non profit and especially in education, non profit. And, um, I absolutely loved it because I felt like that was one way to help, to really, you know, make sure that, um, the educators and all of the, um, the staff that was taking care of our future generations, you know, were there for the right reasons and have the right skills and have the right intentions.

Natalia Lara: And so, um, I really started to love working for nonprofits at that point. And. Unfortunately, I couldn’t continue working in education when I returned, um, to my home state. I was, I was working in New York for a few years, and, um, there was just no openings. And so I very quickly had to figure out, like, where do I go next?

Natalia Lara: And so part of it was sticking to the thing that I love the most, but then the other part was like broadening my Vision to what I could do. [00:31:00] If, um, I still stuck to those things that I love. So like that thing that you said about clinging on to, you know, to the thing that, um, motivated you and inspired you, I felt the same way.

Natalia Lara: And, you know, it was, it was an adventure. It was a very much like a winding road and you didn’t know what was going to be at the next turn. And it actually made me think for you, Melinda, what was the thing that like, If the if you ever hit a wall or if you ever hit a moment where you felt like maybe I’m not meant to do this transition or maybe I’m not meant to make this leap of faith.

Natalia Lara: Um, like, how did you overcome sort of like that? You know, um, Any kind of reservations or any fear that you felt if you were hitting a wall?

Malinda Venable: Yeah, it was difficult I mean the more the job market right now is crazy But even back then when I was in my early 20s, especially being In my early 20s making these leap of faith as a [00:32:00] black woman was kind of unheard of um, and I didn’t necessarily have people around me that were like I see where you’re going with this.

Malinda Venable: Um, actually a lot of people were kind of like, okay, that kind of makes sense what you’re trying to do, but it helped me to craft my story in a way that someone could see me as valuable. But one of the things that I did in order to continue to kind of have the tenacity that it takes to make these bold leaps of faith.

Malinda Venable: Um, was to just keep putting myself out there. I used every interview, every job application, every conversation that I had with my mentors as an opportunity to learn something about myself. I really had to put a mirror on myself and say, okay, if I was the person that was hiring, how would I want this person to be able to fit into the organization or the team culture?

Malinda Venable: Um, and it took a lot of self evaluation. Again, I was like 20. And so a lot of the things that I had done was just kind of like, um, [00:33:00] very, what’s it called? Gutsy. And I was, I was really just kind of like, I’m going to bet on myself if I bet on anything else. And while I was growing up, I played basketball.

Malinda Venable: And I would never forget a moment that my coach told me at the time, and he was explaining to me, um, one game. I wasn’t taking hardly any shots. I was open, but my confidence wasn’t there. And I think he saw that in me. And so what he told me at that time, when I was like in a teenager was you miss a hundred percent of the shots that you don’t take and taking from kind of that.

Malinda Venable: Feedback early on and and embedding on myself and saying if I don’t take the shot, if I don’t at least try, if I don’t at least put myself out there, then I’ll always be kind of at a stagnant level. And that just wasn’t something I saw for myself. So I was like, keep trying, keep moving, keep being motivated.

Malinda Venable: Um, and each time I did an interview or each time I had a conversation with a hiring [00:34:00] manager or a recruiter, Yeah. Um, I just took something from the conversation and applied it to the next time in order for me to keep, um, being in this space of forever learning and being like, okay, well, if you didn’t get it right now, that doesn’t matter because God has the final say event and eventually the things that you want, he’ll, he’ll bring them into fruition for you.

Lashana: Oh, look at that. Um, I love that. I, I feel like I’m going to pull some of those quotes myself. I’m going to borrow them and,

Natalia Lara: and credit you. I think growth mindset is one of those things that like, we don’t often celebrate about ourselves as stars. I don’t know about you, but speaking for myself, sometimes I forget a lot of what I learned I had to seek.

Natalia Lara: Um, you know, both through like mentorships or through research or through observation. Um, can you tell in in La Shana? I’d love to hear from you to like, you know, can you share a little bit more about how you set out to learn a new field or a new role or a new occupation, a new [00:35:00] industry when you are about to take that leap of faith or ask?

Natalia Lara: We’re taking that leap of faith that, you know, landed you in a place that you weren’t familiar with.

Malinda Venable: Yeah, I. Um, was in situations where I had great teams around me and, um, a little bit more about kind of my background. I’m one of six kids and I learned very early on that everyone can’t wear the leadership hat.

Malinda Venable: So you got to figure out where, which hat you pick up at what time. Um, and so, uh, when I was transitioning into these, um, different sectors, what I did was I evaluated and really looked at and, and did. An evaluation of the team and the team’s strengths and weaknesses, and I found areas in which there were weaknesses where I can build kind of the acumen for the team to make it a stronger business unit for whatever organization I was working for.

Malinda Venable: So if, um, for instance, when I was in lending compliance, Um, and regulation specialists. [00:36:00] Uh, we also had a consultant who was a compliance consultant strictly. Um, and that consultant was able to give me a lot of information about what we had done historically, but I had had additional context based upon me working in the field on the ground with customers who are actually facing these obstacles.

Malinda Venable: So while, um, some things. Um, had been taking place kind of historically in order to ensure compliance. Um, some of the things were just kind of created an effort to reduce risk that might not necessarily have existed at the time in which I was brought on board. So I did an evaluation of all of our policies, found ways for us.

Malinda Venable: To, um, you know, change those policies. I use Google like there was nobody’s business. And then because I had came from the banking space, I had a [00:37:00] network of people that I could call and say, Hey, I was thinking this, or do you remember the time that we had to deal with this scenario? What would have made that better for you?

Malinda Venable: What would that, what would have made that better for, um, the customers that we were working with? And then I just presented those things in. Every opportunity that I had within my small team to say like, okay, guys, we’ve been doing this data shows that this might be the better way to do it. And it made me more of a valuable player on the teams.

Malinda Venable: But it also helped me to learn kind of at a rapid fire rate in order to be brought up to speed to whatever my new role was. You sound like you

Lashana: were the subject matter expert. All right. Like if anything needed to happen Like did you did you ask melinda because she she’s probably already looked it up

Natalia Lara: But i’ve asked google ask melinda

Lashana: Exactly Like I don’t know what that is.

Lashana: But I mean very similarly. Um [00:38:00] when I was working, um in in systems engineering um One of the things we had to learn about was a new, um, you know, IP protocol that was coming down the line. A lot of people are familiar with IP before and all the digits. And that’s what you need to connect to different devices.

Lashana: As I tell people, it’s like. Uh, a house address, but it’s for your device. Um, and obviously we were running out and they were like, okay, well, you know, what are we going to do? What is this new IPV6? I don’t understand why are there letters in here? And they’re like, LeShunna, can you learn everything that you need to learn about it and then teach it to the rest of your coworkers?

Lashana: So I did. Um, and it was kind of this journey where it’s like, you know, when people know that you are that responsible person that you will go and you’ll do the research and use whatever resources you have access to and, you [00:39:00] know, go outside and be like, Oh, I went to XYZ and this is the premier. You know, verification area for this particular piece of technology.

Lashana: Um, you become kind of that dependable person that they know they can go to and say, you know, um, let’s scale up the entire team. Uh, and, and I will say this, you know, not everybody can teach. I found that out. That is also a special skill. So people do not have the patience. I did not initially have the patience to teach people.

Lashana: Um, there was something that I kind of learned a little by little because people learn differently. Um, And again, that kind of speaks to stars where more we tend to be people who are a lot more lenient to say, you know, this person might be a visual learner. So I need to give them an example. They need to be able to see something and then then they get it.

Lashana: And then they’re like, okay, based off this example, this is what you want me to do. And some people might, you know, be more [00:40:00] audible and you can kind of tell them the things and they get it right away. I am not one of those people show me, show me what it is. But, uh, you know, there are folks that, you know, you can tell them the first, second time or whatever, and they pop off right away.

Lashana: But being able to give equal respect to different types of learning and say one type of learning isn’t better than another. It’s just it, you know, acclimates to whatever that person, um, wants to do, wants to learn out of that.

Natalia Lara: I’m thinking about like, what are all of those like superpowers that stars have?

Natalia Lara: Because I, I gotta tell you, for me, it was. It was hard to, you know, navigate my career for a long time knowing that I didn’t have a college degree. And, um, one way that I made up for that was, you know, by, like you said, like proving my value and going above and beyond and, and doing things that weren’t even asked of me simply because I wanted to show that not only was I capable, but that [00:41:00] I deserve the chance to continue to grow in my career.

Natalia Lara: And, um, You know, so I was thinking about like over time learning about the star acronym, you know, being skilled through alternative routes and like really for me having that like great connotation that stars shine and they’re amazing and you know, like everything that you can, you know, you know, we know about like the beauty of space is what I bring into, you know, my mind now when I think about being a star and just about like having like the superpowers to get through, you know, my career and the challenges that have been faced

Lashana: with.

Lashana: Well, thank you both for taking time, sharing your story, sharing your experiences, um, maybe talking to the allies a little bit in their ear and letting them know, you know, what to look for and what to do. So, uh, with that said, I want to thank you both, Melinda. And Natalia and Natalia for being my, my co DJ here, [00:42:00] uh, with, with helping to ask questions and, uh, delve into brilliant minds like Melinda’s.

Lashana: Uh, so with that said. Uh, I hope everyone has a good rest of their day, and, uh, I’m going to take it from Natalia. I’m going to say keep shining. I love that.

Malinda Venable: Thanks, Mads. Bye.

Lashana: Ready to land your next big opportunity? YouPro Placement is a skills first placement firm with a job board dedicated to connecting stars with employers who value experience over degrees.

Lashana: Visit www. youtube. com. That tear the paper ceiling. org today to access these services and take your career to the next level, start your journey today. Okay. Uh, so I want to welcome today, somebody who, uh, I think is, is fantastic, uh, example of a shining star. Uh, Barbara, uh, you want [00:43:00] to tell the people who you are?

Barbara Leach: Yeah. So I am Barbara Leach and I’m on the SCARS Advisory Council. Uh, and. Of course I’m a star, and the really wonderful thing for me about being a star in this moment is I’m also a retiring shining star. Congratulations. Yeah. The workforce where I’m working for other people and I am entering a new chapter where I get to do whatever I want to.

Barbara Leach: Uh, and I get to shine wherever I think the light needs to be shown, which is really exciting for me.

Lashana: That’s, that’s awesome. And, um, I’m sure you’re, you’re probably like us, some retirees. I may be the same way when I retire, we’re still doing a little extra. Um, but like you said, you get to do what you want to do.

Lashana: Um, which is one of the fun things, but let’s start it back from the [00:44:00] beginning. Um, you’ve gone through a variety of different careers. I feel like all the stars that I talked to, they’ve had like three, four, five, six, seven different lives. Uh, so let’s, let’s start back, uh, at the beginning when, um, you began your career as a clerk secretary, uh, uh, like in that position.

Lashana: So tell me about young Barbara and, uh, and how you get to where you are.

Barbara Leach: Barbara

Lashana: younger, Barbara ,

Barbara Leach: Barbara. So I was a single mom and I entered into the workforce late. Really. I mean, I’d done a little work, but, you know, uh, when my daughter went to kindergarten, that was when I seriously entered the workforce.

Barbara Leach: Uh, and um. You know, I did a variety of jobs just to get [00:45:00] into the workforce. Um, and one of the first things that I did was I joined a group at the Women’s Center. were displaced homemakers. Okay. Uh, and, um, it was the beginning of my journey. It was volunteer work. Uh, and, uh, I learned a lot of things about being in the workplace and about consistency and how to be an employer.

Barbara Leach: How to be an employee, because I was, yeah, how to be an employee. Uh, and so because I had no real skills, uh, retail is always an option. Uh, so I did a various and sundry jobs, even before I got to being a clerk. Um, so, uh, you know, that. Just trying out different things, doing some volunteer work, trying to get kind of a [00:46:00] feel for what I could do.

Barbara Leach: And then one day someone said to me, get yourself a government job and you’ll always have a paycheck and it will make it possible for you to take care of your daughter. So I applied for a federal job as a clerk, entry level clerk, uh, GS3. Uh, and I landed a job at, uh, NC State University, one of North Carolina’s flagship universities, um, and as a clerk, a secretary for a group of research scientists.

Barbara Leach: Well, that’s not really my thing. I’m not really, that’s not what I was good at. Uh, I mean, I’m really good at being a secretary in theory. But in practice, on the other hand, you know, I couldn’t [00:47:00] even keep my own files. So I did a whole bunch of filing, not filing, but I knew what was in my file. But I knew that’s not the way it was to do it.

Barbara Leach: The thing about that job, though was it afforded me the opportunity to make enough money to provide for my daughter. It was approximated 15 minutes from her school. So if at any time during the day I needed to go pick up my baby, I could do it during my, I could take, I could go and get there, uh, and be there.

Barbara Leach: So, um, the job was, um, the means to the end. But I, I had, I never, uh, wanted it to be my life work because it wasn’t what fueled me. It was a job. It allowed me [00:48:00] to do things that were really important. My priority is being a mom. So what I did was, I did the work good enough. Um, and on the, on Tuesdays, I volunteered at the women’s center, uh, where I was a peer counselor and whatever else they needed.

Barbara Leach: I also volunteered at the local urban ministry center, uh, where I was an intake specialist. And, um, one of the jobs I had within that was really to help make the connections with people of color. Who came in? So my job was twofold. I filled some bags. Uh, I got to hear other people’s stories about what got them to this place and all along all the things that I did by my being a part of that women’s group [00:49:00] where I was the only black woman in that group and the youngest person I was in my right there.

Barbara Leach: Yes. Divorcing. I mean, who had been traded in for a younger version or a different version. Whichever the case may have been. So I was like 25 and they were like 50. So what I, my takeaway from that, from doing those intakes, volunteering at the Urban Ministry Center, trying to figure out my path, was that People have many different stories and there are many ways that you get to a place and sometimes you get to a place where you never expected that you would get the person who had coached me at the, um, when I was part of that women’s group.

Barbara Leach: She was my job coach. Ended up being a client of mine at the Urban [00:50:00] Dentistry Center when she found herself without a job and single with two kids that she had to support and needed support. So, you know, that said to me that, I mean, she had all the things that I thought that you needed in order to be successful.

Barbara Leach: She had had a marriage. Uh, she had a college degree. Uh, and so, You know, when I think about, okay, she’s got everything, and yet there she was. And so, I learned that stories can take you lots of places, even when you think you have the thing that will make you successful. Life happens, and life doesn’t always come around.

Barbara Leach: Life doesn’t always care whether you have a degree or not.

Lashana: No, it does not. It sounds like you had a lot of full circle moments in there. Um, what, were there any particular challenges or [00:51:00] roadblocks that you encountered, um, during that trajectory that you were just kind of like hesitant for a moment or kind of set you back for, for a bit, because to me, you seem like the type of person that, you know, you might.

Lashana: It’s be stopped a little bit, but you will keep going and you’ll persevere. But what are those like small little roadblocks, small little barriers look like for you?

Barbara Leach: So for me, It was like, I couldn’t win. So I’m the only daughter in my family. And my mom was excited to have a daughter cause then she had someone to take care of her, even when she was healthy and well.

Barbara Leach: And, and so she was always my priority along with my. Uh, daughter, and as time moved on, she became ill, uh, and at some point, I was right there in the sandwich of caring for a young child and caring for an [00:52:00] aging parent while trying to work full time, while trying to take college classes to get a degree.

Barbara Leach: Uh, and my family was, I needed to support my child. Cause that was what she had. I needed to support my mother because that was my responsibility and I needed to work and go taking classes in between that there wasn’t enough time. I didn’t have time to study. I couldn’t stay late, uh, at the library. And so, uh, and so work life balance for me was juggling all of those things.

Barbara Leach: So that was really. That was really a challenge. So, one of the things that happened once I got to NC State doing this job, that I, that was a job, was, um, [00:53:00] you know, I had this clerk job, it meant that I had to be at work at 8 o’clock, I worked from 8 to 12, I had talks from 12 to 1, then I worked from 1 to 5.

Barbara Leach: That was it. I had to set. of things that I had to do in the context of that job. And I really didn’t like the job. It really was hard for me, which is why I did all the volunteer work that I did. And over time, I, you know, I worked for a research science group. And part of that group was to bring young scientists from other countries here to the U.

Barbara Leach: S. to work in the lab. And, uh, I, I really, what I really liked is planning. So I took my job that was in a box and I thought, Oh, they really need someone to be a liaison between these new, [00:54:00] uh, foreign scientists who are coming to work in the lab to help them get set up. And so I became that person who was that liaison between.

Barbara Leach: Uh, you know, uh, the new scientists and their new jobs here in America, which meant they had to have visas, they had to have all, they had to have a place to live, some often came with wives and children, and those people needed to be set up in a job or with opportunities, and so when they hired me, They didn’t hire me thinking that they needed that liaison to do this really important work to go fill out those forms and to get them here and ready to work.

Barbara Leach: But I saw it as an opportunity and made it a part of my job. So that, yeah, I was supposed to be there from 8 to 5, but most of the time I spent. out getting [00:55:00] visas and out setting up opportunities for to look at apartments and getting people’s utilities turned on and making sure. So I took that as an opportunity to show them something that they really needed, that I could do, that they could value, that I also valued.

Barbara Leach: So Looking for those opportunities became something that I, I value that made the work useful. Uh, and it taught me some skills that I didn’t have before. So that was more skills that I took on.

Lashana: What happens when we break down barriers and open doors for stars? Unpacked, Closing America’s Opportunity Gap, a must watch documentary developed and executive produced by Workday in partnership with LeBron James and Robert Carter’s Spring [00:56:00] Hill Company, dives into skill based hiring, workforce equity, and creating real change in America’s job market.

Lashana: Watch Netflix and be part of the movement. A lot of times, um, when I’m talking to employers or, um, talent recruitment people, they’re talking about these soft skills that seem to be kind of the, the bane of their existence when it comes to looking for, you know, that, that right candidate, that right person, uh, to, to fill in the slot of what they need.

Lashana: And I always find out with stars, uh, especially that, uh, we tend to come with all of this background, uh, that ends up being helpful. Do you feel the same way? Uh, have you encountered that in so many different areas?

Barbara Leach: So having, uh, good soft skills is, uh, absolutely key. Uh, you know, uh, I come from a [00:57:00] time when customer service was a real thing, where you talk to people, and that the value of having, of talking to someone who listened and believed in you, that, uh, was supportive and helpful, meant loyalty to a brand.

Barbara Leach: It meant that if I was going to make a choice, I was going to choose you. I mean, I still do that now, but the opportunities to do that are, are few and far between because you have to get through the layers of AI and all of that. But when I have an opportunity to talk to someone, uh, that really does build that I’m going to go the extra distance for you.

Barbara Leach: And those, and those are, those communication skills that allow you to do that, I think are invaluable in ways that, that I’m not really sure we appreciate anymore [00:58:00] in the ways that they could make a difference. Wow,

Lashana: it’s, and it’s so important to be. Be able to do that, like in the natural ability, especially with the type of work that that you do.

Lashana: I remember personally, um, working with engineers, um, that were in a different country, learning how to. You know, do all of the ins and outs of things, uh, here in the United States. And, um, it just seemed like I was the only person that was able to just kind of sit down, break down things to them, come from a perspective of, you know, having empathy and saying, you know, this.

Lashana: This is difficult. This is hard. I can’t imagine, you know, what it must be for you to try to learn all of this, you know, being an adult and, and, and coming from a different perspective. And, uh, you know, everyone that’s good at stuff can’t teach. I learned that very quickly, you know, just [00:59:00] because you’re, you’re really good at a task doesn’t mean you know how to teach it.

Lashana: Uh, so, uh, but, but yeah, if you want to elaborate on that, um, please do. Oh, yeah.

Barbara Leach: So one of the things, as I said, we brought foreign scientists over. English as a second language. Often we had scientists from Korea and from China and from Sweden and from other places where, to a culture, That they didn’t understand, and sometimes often to expectations that they were not used to, uh, and having someone that they could go to.

Barbara Leach: So, you know, I was a secretary basically, but I was also the go to. That because they were here and they were alone, they needed someone they could talk to, they needed someone they could ask questions, who would listen, and who could actually help [01:00:00] them learn how to embrace and understand the new culture that they were living in.

Barbara Leach: And that was so helpful to them. Sometimes, you know, it’s that being a bridge. Right. Between things. And the purpose that you’re there for. That makes a lot of difference. Uh, and as I said, I will say probably invaluable, uh, more times than you want to hear, because, you know, I work in human services. Uh, one of the things that happened while I was doing that job, uh, that, uh, was, uh, that leans to the end so that I could take care of my daughter, so that I could be there for my mother, uh, was, uh, my daughter attempted suicide.

Barbara Leach: She was 10, uh, and I was [01:01:00] devastated. You know, I was doing everything I could to be the absolute best mom I could be and my daughter was spiraling out and the resources that I thought were there to support us didn’t really exist. And so that became a cause for me. And so, uh, I sit at that job for 12 years.

Barbara Leach: Uh, meanwhile, again, going back to figuring out what your purpose is. I was sitting at my desk, uh, getting paid to do this job that I did, but I was passionate about saving my child and saving my family. And so I spent days calling and saying, This is my story. This is what’s going on. Can you help me? Only to be told, we [01:02:00] don’t do that.

Barbara Leach: I can’t help you. No, that’s not what we do. I wouldn’t allow that to happen in my house. It’s a lot of stuff that wasn’t helpful, and so I made a commitment that I was going to save my own child and that I would do everything in my power to make sure that no other family had to go through what I was going through to get help.

Barbara Leach: So, fast forward. My job started, and you know, I guess the thread that runs through it is, I was always gaining skills from volunteering. And so, always, you know, so, I started leading a support group while I was, within those 12 years. I started hearing other families. It was at the beginning of the children’s mental health movement.

Barbara Leach: When this country was just beginning to recognize that children had [01:03:00] mental health issues. Because up until that time, you didn’t hear anything about anxiety and depression and all these things in kids. You had kids who had bad parents and you were starting to hear about kids who had ADHD, which was just a behavioral problem.

Barbara Leach: So, yeah, so, um, that was my commitment. And my commitment was I would do everything in my power to not have another parent go through what I was going through. So, fueled by the passion as I began to see.

Lashana: Well, first, thank you for sharing. I know that is a difficult and hard topic. Um, and, uh, thank you for, for standing up, especially for children and mental health.

Lashana: And you’re right. is very new. Um, I [01:04:00] remember, um, you know, being a kid myself and seeing people go through a lot of hard situations because I grew up in The housing projects, low income, uh, on welfare, you know, in a low income area. And it was just more so like, um, you know, either you brush it off and you get through, or, you know, the, and then at that time they still sent kids to institutions, you know, whenever they, um, quote unquote, couldn’t get over it.

Lashana: So, uh, to now see the tide turning. Um, to, you know, actually providing that help and support, um, you know, is, is, is, you know, heartwarming for me. Um, but I can only imagine, you know, being a mother and watching their own child go through this and then feeling, uh, you know, discouraged. Um, so, so [01:05:00] thank you on both of those.

Lashana: I will say that, and I’ll say it on behalf of the audience too, that, that, you know, that is, you know, uh, almost insurmountable tasks. To take on, um, but with all of that, that’s something again, the resilience of stars. Um, we’re usually there to deal with the stuff that sometimes people don’t want to deal with.

Lashana: And, uh, we’re so used to finding a way, making a way out of no way. As they say, um, that, um, you know, to, to be able to see that and then say, I want to do something actionable instead of just kind of feeling like, well, these are the, the cards I’m dealt and I’m just, I guess, gonna mire in that, you know, is, is, is, um, You know, overwhelming for some people, but I’m grateful that you were one of those people to say, you know what, I need to do something.

Lashana: I will figure it out myself and I will, I will, uh, do it, do it on my own. If I need to borrow, just say if you were basically [01:06:00] back, uh, at the beginning of your career, what is something you would have wanted for someone to say to you that that would be excellent? exemplary of, you know, how to persevere, um, through all of the times that, uh, again, you had those roadblocks and, or if, if there was one piece of advice you could give, uh, younger Barbara, what would that be?

Barbara Leach: The one thing that I would say is never quit. Find your purpose, your purpose and your passion and go for it. Be willing to accept. Uh, that you’re gonna have to push through. Find the support you need any way you can. Find what you need within yourself to keep trying because it’s what you want. Uh, and, um, and never give up.

Barbara Leach: [01:07:00] Never give up, never quit, never let somebody else define you. I guess that’s the thing. Never let someone else define who you are. Uh, and find the, find the support. Wherever you can, however you can, whether it’s with a group of strangers who are 25 years older than you, or that person who is going through something similar to you, because sometimes the thing about that volunteer work I did was that I saw.

Barbara Leach: Myself and all those people, and I figured if they could keep trying, I could keep trying. So, uh, be emboldened by the fact that others didn’t quit, and if they didn’t quit, there’s no reason for you to quit either. So I think that’s it.

Lashana: What you shared is, is fantastic. And, um, obviously I could have a conversation with you all day and maybe I’ll take you up to, to coming up, coming down there and us having [01:08:00] dinner.

Barbara Leach: I have a bedroom. Uh, I, I have an embracing spirit because when I was young, uh, and, and this is funny how, when you reflect back on your life, when I was pregnant, I was homeless. But I didn’t know it because there were people who were empathetic and who were supportive and who allowed me to sleep on their sofa or are in their extra bedroom.

Barbara Leach: Some people gave up that, you know, and I didn’t even know at the time, you know, I was almost this year’s old. When I realized that I was a homeless pregnant woman at 21, but I was figuring it out and I didn’t quit. And so I know what the thing that I know is, I don’t care how dark the day I started this out this morning saying this, I don’t care how [01:09:00] dark the day.

Barbara Leach: Sometimes it’s in the deepest sky that when you find the light, you are, you are the strongest you have ever been. That it is the brightest you have ever seen. So, in the midst of darkness, just hang on. The light will come. Because the one thing that you can always count on about life, is that life will change.

Barbara Leach: Life will change. And I have created over the years a bunch of adages about life. And I’ve stolen a few too, by the way. I’m sure. One of, one of the things I always say is some days I ride the horse and some days the horse rides me. But the important thing to do is hold on to your horse. Unless your horse is dead, then dismount.

Barbara Leach: Start walking. So never give up, never quit. There’s always [01:10:00] a way. You can always create a light. In the midst of darkness, which is kind of what we’re doing now.

Lashana: Beautiful. Um, with that, um, Barbara, I want to thank you for joining us today for sharing your story, sharing your heart and sharing your wisdom. Um, so I, I hope that people listen and take away the important lessons that you’ve learned and they’re able to help other stars shine just as brightly as you.

Lashana: So yeah, thank you. I

Barbara Leach: hope we will shine with each other.

Lashana: I look forward to seeing you come on down. Thank you for listening to Paperless Pathways. You can listen to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and on YouTube. Make sure you follow and subscribe to the Paperless Pathways newsletter so that you can stay up to date for future episodes.

Lashana: Next month, we’re going to sit down with Rose Francois, who’s the DEIB [01:11:00] manager at Opportunity at Work. We’re also going to talk to Marseille McKinney, who’s the senior product marketing associate at Opportunity at Work. And finally, we’re bringing back Melinda Venable, who’s our FinTech product manager, to talk about guiding stars through the process of transitioning careers.

Lashana: It’s a great episode that you won’t want to miss.