Meet Adora Taylor

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adora Taylor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Adora, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I’ve always been the only one in the room. Growing up, I was the one who could not fail. My family had so much pressure on me to succeed because of the way I got here. My mother birthed me when she was 16, so she did everything she could to ensure that wouldn’t be a trend. As a result, I had to learn mature skills very early. I learned to listen and observe more than I spoke or made moves. I got the good grades, plenty of academic awards, and even had full ride scholarships lined up. At the closing of my adolescence, I made a decision to marry my husband and go to community college. I was the first in my family to be bold enough to dismantle their control. For the first time, I was doing something just for me. I faced years of ridicule after having made that decision. Soon afterward, I jumped onto an academic track for aerospace and landed a job at Northrop Grumman. That was almost 7 years ago. I’ve continuously entered rooms as the only woman and the only black woman. Since then, I’ve owned two houses, become an author, business owner, international speaker, minister, had 3 children and celebrated 7 years of marriage with that man who started this journey with me. I’ve had the privilege of learning that being the only one in the room is an advantage. I was only able to maximize on that advantage because of those skills I learned very early in my childhood – listen and observe. It never matters if I have a higher skillset than those around me. I listen for the 1% they may be able to teach me. There were absolutely tough times and my faith and trust in God pulled me through those. It is amazing what we can do if we become unafraid of being the only one in the room, but the first one in the room. As a mother, daughter, and friend, all I can hope is that the story I’m living inspires someone wondering whether they can create their own way and still succeed beyond their wildest dreams. If I’ve done that for even one person, the journey was worth it.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a military wife and mother of 3 who gets to launch and recover military aircraft the world has never seen before. I build these war machines with my bare hands and it is the most rewarding job on the planet. I’m the only woman on my team which makes it the greatest privilege. Today, my work flies on the F-35 lightning and the B-21 bomber. How many people in the world can truly say they’ve been inside of an aircraft wing? I’ve been building and testing these jets for almost 7 years and I could only hope that more women find interest in aerospace. This passion has been the driver for my business as a keynote speaker. I’ve had the honor of speaking for students in the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, High School STEM Academies, Women’s Symposiums, and, most recently SWE23 with the City of Los Angeles. I never turn down an opportunity to inspire. The inquires are flooding in for me to reach more women and students all over the country. I’m looking forward to hosting a STEM Career Conference in the near future and I’m always open to businesses, organizations, and people that want to partner with that vision.

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?
Self examination has been the greatest quality I’ve gained. Usually people associate this concept with negative connotations, but I see it a little differently. I see it as a moment to pause and assess whether you’re making a decision for your well being or the well being of others. There are times for both and the balance between those decisions is what ultimately creates that space for prosperity. I personally struggled with being okay if a decision only benefited me. I used to carry guilt for taking a spa day because I’d be spending one less day with my children and my husband. I actually have a workshop for this assessment. Before bed, readers should spend 10-15 minutes a day coming to terms with the decisions they’ve made and actively plan on making adjustments as needed. This is especially important for the entrepreneur mind that never shuts off. It is one this to say you need a new job because you don’t like your present circumstances. It is another thing to actively take the steps toward getting that new job. This could be rewriting your resume, applying for college, submitting new applications, or even networking.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am absolutely looking for strong partners and collaborators to join my vision. It has been on my heart for some time to host a STEM Careers Conference. I would love to be able to reach students who don’t have access to this information and maybe would never have considered it. I would also love to support parents who want more opportunities for their child and don’t know where to begin. Collaborators we are looking for include financial sponsors, anyone with facilities connections, marketing experience, youth group connections, and even vendors who would like to showcase their brand. Anyone looking to collaborate on this vision can always reach out via my website at www.AdoraTaylor.com or email my team at Info@Seed701.com.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Northrop Grumman

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