We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Michelle Pierce Mobley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Dr. Michelle with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
The creative team of Tab Talks attributes their success to good parenting. Dr. Michelle recounted always seeing both parents working and volunteering. My mother was in fashion retail and volunteered as a Sunday School teacher at our church. My father worked two jobs and was a frequent blood donor.
Curtis Welch, co-creator of Tab Talks, recounts a father who faithfully provided for his family and a grandfather with an entrepreneurial spirit. “When you grow up working in a family business and then eventually start your own, you learn that if you don’t work, you don’t eat.” Both agree you must acknowledge great mentors who provide support and encouragement. Additionally, both shared that great friends hold each other accountable, and that shared responsibility also aids in character development.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
At Tab Talks, we believe it is our purpose to tell stories in a culturally competent way. Many times, mainstream media produces content that lacks empathy or cultural awareness. We strive to make sure that our stories reflect a variety of perspectives because media can inform and change the world. Having such a big platform comes with a huge responsibility. We have seen the rise and fall of great media giants who took the privilege of their platforms for granted. Social Media has now allowed additional voices into those once-hallowed spaces; voices that would have never been heard before.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
In the book Our Iceberg is Melting, by John Kotter, there are many valuable lessons about disruption and how change affects people differently. Some people stand still while others move impatiently without understanding it takes patience and a process to get some people to move. As creators of Tab Talks, we found that some people tried to stifle our creativity. We had to move beyond the naysayers. Most successful people simply have visions that others can’t see. That’s what makes them innovative and change agents. You must be willing to blow past negative people to move ahead because you could miss a great opportunity if you don’t step out on faith.
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