We were lucky to catch up with Traci McKindra Harper recently and have shared our conversation below.
Traci, thank you so much for joining us today and appreciate you talking about a sensitive topic. It’s unfortunately relevant to so many in the community as layoffs have been on the rise recently, and so we’d appreciate hearing your story and how you overcame being let go?
I was living in Des Moines, IA when I was laid off a week before my sixth anniversary at my first job. To say it was an unexpected change of circumstances would be the understatement of the century. I had just bought a house the previous year and was preparing to make my case for a promotion. In addition to all the administrative tasks that came with the layoff (revising my resume, updating my portfolio, applying for unemployment), I also found myself dealing with the mental and emotional effects of losing my job (feelings of self-doubt, financial insecurity, managing the stress and disappointment of unsuccessful job applications/interviews). Many people tried to console me by telling me that I would land in a better place than the one I had just left, but that was really hard for me to see at the time. Some of the ways I found to cope during that difficult time were to maintain a spiritual connection at my church, serving in the community with my sorority, frequent exercise, and lots of help and encouragement from my circle of friends. Finally, a college friend invited me to stay with her in Dallas for a month and try to find work there. After 14 months of unsuccessfully seeking work in Iowa, I secured a new role in Texas in 30 days. My new salary was $15,000 higher and I wouldn’t have to shovel snow. While I was sad to leave my home, I was excited to embark on the next chapter of my life and career. Turns out those people were right. I did land in a better place.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am creative leader with an art direction background and a passion for mentorship.
My professional portfolio includes work for clients in the home & shelter space (Maytag Appliances, Pella Windows & Doors, Michelin Tires), retail/CPG brands (Safeway, Clorox, Hershey), and as part of the in-house marketing department at global retailer Army & Air Force Exchange Service.
During the summer of 2020 and in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, I had the great opportunity to co-found OmniBlack, an African American advocacy initiative at shopper marketing agency TPN, alongside three of my fellow Black colleagues. We developed a robust 7-point platform to make sure our corporate values were realized for all employees. I instinctively took leadership of our Mentorship and Sponsorship pillar. I worked with HR to diversify our internship candidate pool and the hiring committees that select them. I also proposed an augmentation for the existing corporate mentorship program that would cater specifically to the experience of Black interns and employees. But I didn’t just make suggestions. I also served as a mentor and recruited BIPOC interns from the University of Texas at Arlington. This experience awakened a new passion for impactful inclusion.
I currently serve as the creative lead for the Inclusion Experience consultancy at VML. In this role, I have worked with smaller clients like Black-owned premium coffee brand BLK & Bold; and several non-profit organizations like Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, Steps of Faith and Tipping Point Community. Joining the Inclusion Experience team has allowed me to expand on the foundation I built with OmniBlack — combining my creative expertise with leadership skills and an inclusive focus.
I still mentor as part of the Ujima Black Mentorship Program and have been gratified to be able to offer my mentee a role on some of the projects I lead.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
There are so many qualities, skills, and areas of expertise that have served me on my journey, but the three MOST impactful would probably be generosity, teachability and problem solving.
Generosity: I operate from a mindset of abundance and believe strongly in the principle of reciprocity. For me that means that my continued growth and success is actually tied to how much I’m willing to give back. No matter where you are in your career or in life, you have something to share with others that can help them navigate, accelerate or avoid certain pitfalls on their journey.
Teachability: I’m actually a pretty well-known question asker because I know enough to know that I don’t know everything. Never be afraid to ask for help or insight from others.
Problem Solving: My mother would always tell me “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” She made sure I knew multiple ways to get from my house to the office in case of traffic or an accident. Basically, I’ve been practicing problem solving my whole life and it serves me every single day in my career. I often have to design a layout with a lot of information, a limited amount of space, and a client who wants to art direct me. Navigating these situations requires me to solve problems in the layout itself as well as relationally with the client and often working collaboratively with my teammates. So… thanks, mom!
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I have learned the power of the pause. I used to get overwhelmed and feel like I had to push through it. That approach led to poor decisions, low productivity and resentment. Once I came to the realization that, most of the time, I do not have to respond immediately and that I am not responsible for other people’s emergencies, I became much better able to balance my levels of stress and reduce experiences of overwhelm.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tracimckindra.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracimckindra/
